On a day that was difficult for the hockey community as they mourned the tragic loss of Adam Johnson, the Minnesota Wild tried to finish up their three-game road trip on a high note with a win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, Oct. 29. The Devils were without one of their best in Nico Hischier, but still the Wild struggled. They failed to score first for the fifth game of their nine-game season, and the Devils went up 1-0. This time, the Wild answered back before the end of the period to tie things up at one.
They had momentum in their favor as they opened the second period with a power play goal under three minutes to take their first lead. However, it wouldn’t last as the Devils scored two goals 44 seconds apart to take a two-goal lead and padded it late to make it a three-goal lead.
The third period has been the Wild’s best in scoring so far this season, with at least one goal in every game. They scored in the third period against the Devils but only one goal and fell short 4-3 to mark their fourth regulation loss.
Wild Fail to Convert
The Wild have had many chances to either get back into games or win games but haven’t been able to convert. This game was no different as they had several power play chances but only scored on one out of the six. Those weren’t the only missed opportunities either; at the most crucial part of the game, they failed to make it happen.
The first major opportunity came when the Wild were down 4-2 almost halfway through the third period, and the Devils had a 2-on-0 breakaway chance that looked like a for-sure goal, except Marc-André Fleury stepped up big and made the save. The play resulted in a power play for the Wild that should’ve been the turning point in the game had they been able to score, but unfortunately, they didn’t, and the momentum stayed with the Devils.
They had one more chance to tie things up and force overtime with another man-advantage opportunity but couldn’t convert with just one shot in the final seconds that Vitek Vaněček had no trouble saving. The Wild found a way to be successful once on the power play; they must take more shots and force chances to score in the future.
Wild’s Penalty Kill Out of Sorts
After the Wild’s failed chances, the next part of their game that suffered was the penalty kill. They took only three penalties throughout the game, which isn’t a high number, but they allowed the Devils to score twice. The penalty kill has struggled with their positioning most of the season, and that has caused them to allow seven goals to be scored while shorthanded.
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Obviously, it’s hard to defend while on the penalty kill, but the Wild used to be one of the best in the league. This season, their percentage is a dismal 67.9 percent, which puts them 31st in the NHL. The Wild are rarely ever the worst at something, but their penalty kill needs some help, and they have to stop leaving the weak side forward alone at the side of the net. Killing penalties is difficult, but the Wild’s issues are simple, and they can defend successfully if they stay structured.
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It’s clear the Wild are missing both Jared Spurgeon and Alex Goligoski, who remain injured, but again, injuries happen, and they have to learn to play no matter who’s out. Other players must step up, and while they all have tried, none have succeeded. Hopefully, both Spurgeon and Goligoski can come back sooner rather than later, or this suffering may continue.
Wild Need to be Aggressive
The Wild have strong forwards that can push the issue and force themselves into the offensive zone. Marco Rossi has proven to be quite good at this but, unfortunately, gets caught up with the opposition’s defense. However, he at least tries to force his way into the zone rather than trying to pass it too often.
It may be early, but they could also add a little desperation to their game, especially at the end of games when they are desperate for a goal. They’ve played hard and quick, but that edge of desperation hasn’t been there. The more aggressive and desperate they play without going overboard could help them succeed in scoring goals.
Wild Always Have Bright Spots
With the type of roster the Wild have, it’s hard for them to go an entire game without some bright spot happening, even in their losses. It started with Pat Maroon scoring his first goal of the season to tie the game late in the first period. Ryan Hartman had an up-and-down game but scored on the power play to give his team their first lead of the game and his first power-play goal of the season.
Joel Eriksson Ek was doing what he does best and playing strongly under the radar. He had one assist, three shots on goal, two blocked shots, plus a faceoff percentage of 74 percent. He won 14 of the 19 faceoffs he took and was the best center in the lineup against the Devils.
The final bright spot goes to Jake Middleton, who scored the goal that got them within one, and he did so by sneaking into the slot. No one noticed him until it was too late, and he snuck one in. The Wild did have some great blocks at the end when their net was empty, but they couldn’t force it offensively.
Wild Face Devils Again
The Wild will head home and have a few days off before having to play again. Once they do return to the ice, it’ll be against the Devils once again to finish the season series. The Wild know how the Devils operate and will hopefully have a better game plan to kill off their penalties successfully and score goals on their power plays.
The Wild need to take this time to study their play and fix the areas that need attention. It’s unclear at this time if Hischier will be back in the lineup, but the Wild must be ready to play strong defense. Hopefully, their game on Thursday, Nov. 2, will be a turning point to get them back into the win column.
